CES 2016: New 8K Television

April 21, 2016 / / 0 Comments

GadgetMix7

The Consumer Electronics Show of 2016 introduced many exciting new television sets. You have probably heard about the 4K televisions that were introduced by numerous electronics companies, such as Sony. But what LG introduced at the CES was something that nobody expected; the 8K television set. That’s right this is a 98-inch television by LG that is about double the size of the best selling televisions out today. It also has an 8K display, which means it has even better resolution than the ultra high definition 4K televisions that are out now.

Quadrupling the number of pixels was no easy task for LG, which is probably why it is such a big television set. As for the price, it is probably not going to be in the average consumers’ price range. LG currently has another 98-inch television that has 4K resolution, which is priced at $40,000. The only 8K television out right now is from Sharp. They have an 85-inch television in 8K resolution that sells for $130,000. Most people probably couldn’t fit a television like this in their living room anyways. Unless you have a mansion and a million dollars in the bank, you probably won’t be able to afford this.

For those who are still willing to spend under $10,000 for a television, you can purchase the Samsung 4K 85-inch television for just under $9,000. LG also has a 79-inch 4K television set for $6,000. You can find these televisions at big retail stores like Best Buy. Of course, if you are going to enjoy 4K, or 8K, resolution, then you need to be watching content made for this kind of display. You can’t just turn on the television or pop in a Blu-ray disc and expect the quality to be 4K or 8K. The content has to be made for that quality or else it will show in lesser resolution.

If you are more interested in ultra thin televisions then you should try LG’s G6. The company refers to it as “picture on a glass” because it is basically like hanging a picture frame on the wall and watching television from it. With a thickness of 2.57 millimeters, the television almost disappears when you look at it from the side. There is no price yet on this television, but it will have sizes that go all the way up to 77 inches. So it will be interesting to see if consumers prefer the ultra thin computer or the super ultra high definition computer. The price is likely to be the deciding factor here.

Is Google Not Working on Constructing Smart Homes Anymore?

April 15, 2016 / / 0 Comments

GadgetMix6

At the Consumer Electronics Show last year, products were introduced that would integrate with Apple’s smart home platform. These smart products included light bulb adapters, power outlets, door locks and more. Google announced similar innovations in smart home technology last year as well. This got consumers excited and craving for updates on this technology at this year’s electronics show. Unfortunately, there weren’t many people talking about Google’s smart home system; nicknamed Brillo and Weave. At the 2016 CES, there were some smart products from this system shown like the security camera, printer, oven, scanner, speaker, door locks and light bulbs. These products were manufactured by big named tech company partners, like Philips, LG Asus and HP.

LG is actually the biggest partner of Google’s smart home system. They had a washer and dryer, air conditioner, security camera, wireless speakers and a refrigerator on display at the CES. So what’s the problem? Well there was no mention from Google or its tech partners about when these items will be released or what the progress is on their development. During LG’s press conference, Brillo and Weave were talked about for three minutes by Google’s Vice President. But there were no specifics on the new platform.

Just so you understand, Brillo is the software that gets programmed into these smart devices. It is basically like the operating system of them which is similar to how Android is an operating system to smartphones. As for Weave, this is the special programming language that allows the various smart devices to speak to one another. What is interesting is that devices don’t need to have Brillo installed in them in order to speak Weave to each other. This makes Weave the most important programming feature of these smart devices. In fact, it can even help these devices to communicate with apps for your smartphone, whether they are iOS apps or Android apps.

Perhaps, Google is focusing on other projects at the moment and hasn’t made any new advancement with Brillo and Weave. Either that or they may be looking to create something that will blow people away. You should check back at next year’s CES to see if Google introduces updates on this awesome smart home system. Since smart technology is growing to all types of products, it is safe to say that smart devices for homes will gain more attention sooner or later as they become more developed and tested.

BE BRILLIANT WITH THE NEW HTC ONE

April 9, 2016 / / 0 Comments

GadgetMix5

HTC is an award winning tech company that is best known for its HTC One smartphone series. Back in October of last year, the company announced it was developing the next phone in the HTC One series called the “HTC One A9.” This phone is said to have a very innovative design which integrates the latest version of the Google Android operating system into the mix. So you have a beautiful design on the outside and the newest features of the Android 6.0 on the inside, also known as Marshmallow.

HTC is a pioneer in the smartphone community. It is the company known for creating the very first smartphone to have the Android operating system on it. It is also the first company to have created a Windows smartphone and a 4G smartphone as well. Now, they are the first company to create a Smartphone that is all metal. HTC works hard to stay ahead of the competition by trying to be the most innovative tech company out of the numerous others that are out there. The HTC One A9 gives consumers everything they want to have in a smartphone. It has an attractive exterior design, great performance, new helpful features and the ability to completely control the experience you have with your phone. With its all-metallic body, it will be a very durable phone as well. This means if you accidentally drop your phone then you are less likely to have any irreversible damage done to the interior of it.

The HTC One A9 has 1080p color quality, an energy efficient 5-inch screen and high definition visuals. With all of this, you will get 40% more color in your picture than what you would get from a traditional LCD screen. If you are interesting in having a high quality rear camera to take pictures with, the HTC One A9 has a 13 megapixel camera that includes Optical Image Stabilization. That way people with shaky hands won’t have as much shakiness in their video when it is recording. The Optical Image Stabilization works to correct the vibrations caused by the shakiness. As a result, you will have a clear picture with complete stabilization.

If you are interested in purchasing the new HTC One A9 then you can do so at the company’s website: HTC.com. The total price is $499.99. You can choose from four different colors for the phone’s all-metallic body. These colors include gray, silver, gold and red.

Google Announces the Android 6.0 and Two Nexus Phones

April 3, 2016 / / 0 Comments

GadgetMix4

Google recently announced they are going to be releasing two new Nexus smartphones in the near future. These phones are called the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X, and will be much different than previous versions of Nexus. For starters, the phones are going to have the new Android 6.0 operating system. This is the latest version of the popular Android OS created by Google. The nickname for Android 6.0 is Marshmallow.

Besides the new OS, the phones will have better quality cameras, improved fingerprint sensory technology on the rear, bigger batteries, and new power saving options that will be included with Android 6.0. However, another change in the OS that IT managers and business users will appreciate are the enhanced security options. Users will now be able to keep their personal apps and business apps separate from each other. This kind of feature used to be available through add-on software and apps that you would have to download, but now users will be able to have the feature built right into the operating system.

Business people and workers are always struggling to separate their work related apps from their personal apps. Often times, workers will end up accidentally sharing sensitive company information through a private email, or sometimes even sensitive personal information through a corporate email. You have probably heard about stories where people end up accidentally sharing personal selfie pictures or even nude pictures of themselves with people they didn’t intend on sending them to. Well now, this problem will be avoidable in the new Android 6.0 because you can finally keep your personal data separate from your work data, and vice versa.

The LG Nexus 5X will have a 5.2 inch display screen and will be priced at $379 if The LG Nexus 5X will have a 5.2 inch display screen and will be priced at $379 if you purchase the standard 16GB model. As for the Huawei Nexus 6P, it will have a 5.7 inch display screen and priced at $499 if you purchase the 32GB model. Both come equipped with 64-bit processors. The phones were available to purchase starting at the end of October. The majority of the people purchasing these new phones are businesspeople, since the new features cater more to their needs. They are also more likely to afford the purchase because it is work related, which can be claimed as a deduction on their income tax. As for laypeople, they may still want to upgrade their Android phone to the newest Nexus model just to try out the latest Android operating system.

Hands on with the Samsung S2 smartwatch

March 30, 2016 / / 0 Comments

samsumg_gadget

​At a recent IFA Conference that was held in Berlin, Samsung unveiled its new Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch. As most people know, Samsung’s line of smartwatches has been a fierce competitor to the Apple Watch. The Gear S2 features a watch face with a round display, which is different than the original Gear watch that had a rectangular display. Consumers get to choose between two versions of the Gear S2; a classic leather banded watch or a sporty looking watch. The leather band of the classic version can be swapped out with the bands of other Samsung watches by using the quick release mechanism built in. You can choose between black, silver or dark gray colors for the Gear S2. But the cosmetic features of the Gear S2 aren’t even the best part about it. The watch will be able to connect to a 3G network, which means it doesn’t have to rely on mobile phones in order to function properly. This also means it can make phone calls and it can utilize the functions of Samsung Pay. The watch has a 1.2 inch display screen with a pixel resolution of 360 x360. The watch itself is 11.4 millimeters thick, which makes it big but not too bulky. Therefore it should be comfortable on your wrist. 

​The Gear S2 runs on an open source operating system called Tizen. Samsung helped develop this operating system in order to separate itself from the Android operating system. After all, it would cut into their profits if they had to pay Google for the use of their operating system in each watch that they sold. By Samsung using their own operating system, it will save them more money in the long run. It will also give consumers a unique user experience when they operate the watch. Instead of being forced to scroll the screen with your finger, you can also rotate the bezel around to navigate through the watch. The bezel moves around the watch face very easily, but there is still a little resistance. However, if you still prefer to swipe the watch face to navigate then you little resistance. However, if you still prefer to swipe the watch face to navigate then you can always exercise that option as well. 

With so many options and over 1,000 apps to choose from, it is looking like the Gear S2 will be a big seller when it comes out next month. The preorders for the watch have already sold out. These were priced at €349 in the United Kingdom, so Samsung seems to be dominating the smartwatch market right now.

Android smart watches get in time with iPhone

March 20, 2016 / / 0 Comments

​GadgetMix2

Android smartwatches are starting to become known amongst consumers and tech enthusiasts. But some people are unsure about the differences between Android smartwatches and other brands of smartwatches, like the Apple Watch. Those who enjoy Apple over Google may not want to switch to Android Wear just to try out a different operating system. Well it seems that Google may have a way to solve this problem because they are releasing a new version of their Android Wear software that is designed for Apple’s “iOS” mobile operating system. Android Wear for iOS will be available for the LG Watch Urbane. In the future, there will be other Android Wear smartwatches that will support the Apple iOS. Some of these watches will be Asus, Huawei, and Motorola. Google plans to keep people informed on the latest developments in these future releases. 

​This latest move seems to be Google’s way of competing with the highly awaited Apple Watch. When people put on one of these Android smartwatches, it will be able to communicate with their iPhone because of the iOS integration. Now people who are predominately iPhone users can now purchase another Android device and use them together. Before, consumers generally had to stick with one brand. If they bought an Android phone then every other device the purchase had to be Android as well. The same went for Apple users too. People with iPhones needed iPads, iPods and so on. When Android Wear was first released it was only able to work with a Google operating system. But with this new ability for Android Wear to communicate with an iOS, it opens up all kinds of possibilities for cross brand communication.

​ Right now the fitness tracker Fitbit is the top selling smartwatch with Apple Watch coming in second place. It would be very hard for Android to make itself stand out amongst these top two competitors unless they did something unique with their smartwatches that no one else has done. This new move by Android will likely be the thing that keeps their watches selling and keeps them stable in the marketplace. For one thing, Android Wear is only $100 whereas the Apple Watch starts at $500. Most people are not going to pay $500 when they can pay $100, especially if it will communicate with their existing iPhone. The one bad thing Apple has going for it is its prices. They are always the most expensive computer brand on the market. Since smartwatches are not really that popular to begin with, it is unlikely that consumers will keep shelling out $500 for the newest Apple Watch. Therefore, Google has a strong chance of getting their Android Wear ahead of the game.

Google and Partner Bring New Technology to Android Phones

March 10, 2016 / / 0 Comments

GadgetMix1The search engine giant Google is partnering up with semiconductor chip giant Intel to bring depth sensing technology to Google’s Android smartphones. Intel showcased many of its new products recently at the Intel Developer Forum that was held in San Francisco. Intel introduced their Project Tango Developer Kit to the spectators, which the company has been collaborating on with Google. This developer kit will be integrated into Android smartphones along with its RealSense technology. This technology will give app developers the chance to develop depth sensing software powered by the developer kit. Users will be able to create apps that can perform indoor navigation, virtual reality, 3D scanning, area learning and much more. 

Intel announced that the developer kit is scheduled to be released at the end of the year for selected Android developers only. These developers are going to be testing the developer kit and will likely provide feedback to Intel and Google. The developer kit will eventually be released to the main public once all the bugs and glitches are worked out from the test run. Google has already put a Project Tango tablet for sale at a price of $512. You can purchase it at the Google Store. However, people are more excited to have this technology brought to Android smartphones because those mobile devices are more popular than tablets. 

Brian Krzanich, CEO of Intel, had showed off a prototype of the Android smartphone developer kit. The device has several cameras on the backside, which makes it the perfect device for scanning objects in 3D. If you are an architect or someone getting involved in 3D printing, this 3D scanner could be just what you are looking for. Imagine being able to create blueprints in 3D using the scanner and then transferring those scanned images to a 3D printer that can turn them into a physical scale model. This would save so much time and money from having to create the model yourself. 

The Advanced Technology and Projects division of Google is overseeing Project Tango. Google is planning to bring Qualcomm in on the action by using their Snapdragon 810 processor in Project Tango. It will work in conjunction with the 3d motion tracking that will eventually be developed for Project Tango. The results will be phenomenal with the collaboration of all these great tech companies. Both professional and novice Android app developers will be very interested in getting this kit when it becomes mainstream.

Qualcomm Hexagon 680 promises improved location, better photos, and more battery life

March 1, 2016 / / 0 Comments

snapdragon_hexa_12

Qualcomm has developed a new digital signal processor chip called Hexagon 680. This is a mobile chip that is supposed to help prolong the battery life in your mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. The chip will also give you better location data, even if you are in a location without a powerful navigational signal. Plus, if you take pictures with the mobile device then it will give you a nicer blend of bright and dark imagery. New smartphones that offer camera improvements are usually big sellers. We have already seen that plenty of times with Apple’s iPhones and Samsung’s Galaxy phones. Therefore, it is very likely that Qualcomm’s new Hexagon 680 chip will be in many mobile devices in the years to come.

The Hexagon Vector eXtensions is what gives the Hexagon 680 all of its power. This added hardware is what helps the chip produce advance imagery when used in conjunction with the Qualcomm Spectra camera image sensor. When it is used with the Snapdragon 820 processor, the CPU will be able to perform three times faster while using only 10% of its normal power. Many smartphone manufacturers have been looking for ways to cut down the power consumption of their smartphones. The one thing that consumers always complain about with their mobile devices is the fact the battery runs out too fast. We live in the age where people want the most convenience possible. In terms of batteries, this means consumers want the batteries to charge their mobile devices for longer periods of time. The smartphone that can do this the best will win over consumers. But the secret lies in the CPU of the mobile device, which is why Qualcomm is constantly working on a way to perfect this. That way they can gain more partnerships with smartphone companies that would be willing to put Qualcomm’s chips into their devices.

Qualcomm is looking to make a comeback in the chip technology market. Rumors suggest they have already lost their partnership with Samsung, which is a major mobile technology maker. Qualcomm simply cannot afford to lose any more major partnerships or else it could be the end of their operations. But for now, things are looking very good with the news about their Hexagon 680 chip. As long as another chip company doesn’t come along and create something similar. Qualcomm’s chips should be around for years to come.

« Older posts

© 2016 Gadget Mix

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑